Q was even calmer about this one than all previous parades. In our Sit Around and Wait time this year (2 hours despite me deliberately showing up 90 minutes late!) she ate the WHOLE time. It was sunny. She ate. It was windy. She ate. It was rainy. She ate. It was sleeting she ate. It snowed. She ate. It was sunny again. She ate.
And then we did the parade.
And she was completely at ease with the whole thing...even with muzzleloaders firing in front of us! (She'd tense up but not spook beyond that, and I don't blame her. The shots fired had no rhyme or reason and seemed to come right as you were coming to grips with the fact that maybe you wouldn't hear any more.)
She made lots of children and adults smile - the main reason I do parades with her, I used to be that kid that gushed about the parade horses and then thought about them for days on end. Anything I can do to return that sounds good to me.
AND - this is a big And - she peed half way through the parade. Just took one of our momentary stop-go pauses and let loose in the middle of the street! Spectators and general public were appalled, but I was thrilled. I stroked her neck and told her good girl, very good endurance pony.
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| The mini was acting up at this point. He seems to have the same attitude problem as Griffin re: things not being on His Agenda = cue for minor meltdown. He'd stomp his front feet into the ground just like Griffin does! |
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| This colt is only 6 months old...he was a good 2" taller than Q. Owners/breeders say he'll likely reach 18-19hh; potential to be their biggest foal ever. |
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| People watching. It's okay, Q, I think a lot of people are weird, too. |
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| Post-parade mash. Because pre-parade would have defeated all of my efforts to keep her looking nice! |
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